Pressures block questioning some ministers – MP

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: A member of the parliament’s anti-corruption board ruled out on Saturday that some ministers would be questioned during the current legislative term, referring to some pressures practiced by the executive authority to block the moves. “There is no genuine wish by some parliamentary blocs and the executive authority to raise issues of administrative corruption by some officials and ministers,” Alia Nassif, a legislator from the Iraqi National List (INL) bloc, told IraqiNews.com news agency. “There is evidence condemning the trade minister in the issue of the Chinese milk containing carcinogenic melamine but some blocs are blocking the questioning,” she said. The board’s chairman, Sabah al-Saadi, had reiterated criticism against the trade minister, accusing the ministry of involvement in administrative corruption. Signatures of ninety-two lawmakers were collected to conduct a no-confidence vote over the trade minister for disregarding requests to have him appear before parliament for questioning. The parliament has declined to include the proposed vote into its agenda. Nassif also said that there are some evidence condemning the defense minister over some arms deals but the questioning is also resisted for “personal interests of some members of parliament”. The New York Times, in a report in mid-April 2008, said that a secret deal of $833 million brokered between Iraq and Serbia in September 2007 to purchase arms has involved “corruption and inefficiency”. The deal, conducted without a tender, has triggered a lot of criticism, prompting Iraqi officials to cut the purchases to $236 million, the paper added. AmR (S)/SR 1